This invention relates to a thermal switch housing, and more specifically to a thermal switch housing which is designed to be used in a recessed lighting fixture.
Recessed lighting fixtures for incandescent lamps, wherein the housing of the fixture fits through a hole in the ceiling or a wall of a room, are well known in the art. These fixtures are often desirable because, when they are properly mounted, they are flush with the surface of the ceiling or wall, and are unobtrusive. However, one of the dangers with this type of fixture is that heat generated by the lamp accumulates inside the housing and often cannot escape. The temperature of the housing can become exceedingly high and create a potential electrical or fire hazard.
It is proposed to overcome this potential hazard by installing a thermal switch inside the recessed lighting fixture. It is well known in the art to use thermal switches to avoid overtemperature conditions in electrical circuits. However, generally speaking, thermal switches have a fixed cut-off temperature which cannot be altered. Therefore, when a thermal cut-off switch is employed in an electric circuit, the cut-off temperature cannot be altered without changing the switch.
As applied to recessed lighting fixtures, the use of a thermal switch to avoid overtemperature conditions presents a particular problem because the critical overtemperature value is a function of the size, shape, surface area, volume, and materials of construction of the fixtures.
It is therefore desirable to provide an apparatus for interchangeably accommodating a thermal cut-off switch inside a recessed lighting fixture so that thermal switches having different cut-off temperatures can be interchangeably installed into the fixture to meet particular design conditions.